The dressing room must be a strangely quiet place this season! There are players who could and should step up and do the talking that gets the results in terms of motivation, confidence and intent. Mac is not doing that and some, like Achurch, have their minds on something else. He has been focussed on his new business venture and he can't think about two things at one time! He has never appeared to give his all to me. I am completely unimpressed with the impact of all the new signings - even Ferres. Sorry, but he just does not do it for me. So - we need both new coach and new players, but they are not out there at this moment in time, so what do we do? It is not about 'grafting' or working longer. It is about attitude , motivation and pride and getting the right game plan to perform as a team again. So do we use this season as a platform to rebuild towards that or do we just accept that this is now where we belong? It's an obvious answer, surely.
It's that Mac doesn't like Mitch more like. In Pre-Season he plays him at Prop (which isn't his position), then b0ll0cks him for not playing how he wants. Then he drops him from the team without an explanation. As for the Training situation, the players are getting txts at 8pm telling them where to be the next morning.
Mac got on with Sinfield and Peacock and nobody else. Sinfield and Peacock got on with the Squad. I think it was a case of bridging Coach and Squad. That bridge has gone. Problems have started.
Jamie Peacock MBE wrote:'There's been a couple of times during my career when I've thought about moving elsewhere but, when I run out in front of 17,000, 18,000 people at Headingley, I've thought 'nah, this is the place for me'.
Middleton_Loiner wrote:It's that Mac doesn't like Mitch more like. In Pre-Season he plays him at Prop (which isn't his position), then b0ll0cks him for not playing how he wants. Then he drops him from the team without an explanation. As for the Training situation, the players are getting txts at 8pm telling them where to be the next morning.
Mac got on with Sinfield and Peacock and nobody else. Sinfield and Peacock got on with the Squad. I think it was a case of bridging Coach and Squad. That bridge has gone. Problems have started.
This sounds pretty sensible, however, out of curiosity how do you know this?
Joined: Apr 03 2003 Posts: 28186 Location: A world of my own ...
I wouldn't be in a rush to judge Ferres. He's come into a side all over the place in attack and lacking that Danny Brough type figure he thrived off at Huddersfield.
Couldn't fault his effort with or without the ball in the games he played, at times he was maybe trying to do too much with the offloads to make something happen. Still one of the best second rows in the competition IMO.
Walters needs to follow Achurch out the door, not be given the Delaney role. Thanks for being in the right place at the right time at Old Trafford, but he's never going to be physically commanding enough to play in the middle unit. He got walked through for Allgood's try on Friday. There looked at one time like there might be a decent player in there somewhere, he ran some clever angles and understood where he needed to be on the field. The attempt by the conditioning staff to bulk him up ahead of the 2015 season though just seems to have completely ruined him as a player.
Those in favour of retaining Burrow in the bench role - when was the last time he came off the bench at dummy half and changed the course of a game? Give him a role with the 16s and 19s, but this should be it in terms of a playing contract.
Hall leaving would be a huge call, I think he's still got an awful lot to give at this level. IIRC his partner was pregnant during pre-season so he's dealing with being a new dad, and then subsequently got injured. Can't see any signs of a terminal decline in his game though.
"As you travel through life don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things" - George Carlin
ls28_rhino wrote:This sounds pretty sensible, however, out of curiosity how do you know this?
Discussions with Players and Staff. Hopefully it can be worked around.
Jamie Peacock MBE wrote:'There's been a couple of times during my career when I've thought about moving elsewhere but, when I run out in front of 17,000, 18,000 people at Headingley, I've thought 'nah, this is the place for me'.
Stevosfalseteeth wrote:Funny. I know Stevie Ward quite well, and what you're claiming (Mac only got on with JP & Kev) is utter rubbish.
Ok then.
Jamie Peacock MBE wrote:'There's been a couple of times during my career when I've thought about moving elsewhere but, when I run out in front of 17,000, 18,000 people at Headingley, I've thought 'nah, this is the place for me'.
Joined: Jul 22 2012 Posts: 6848 Location: Hill Valley
Andy Gilder wrote:I wouldn't be in a rush to judge Ferres. He's come into a side all over the place in attack and lacking that Danny Brough type figure he thrived off at Huddersfield.
Couldn't fault his effort with or without the ball in the games he played, at times he was maybe trying to do too much with the offloads to make something happen. Still one of the best second rows in the competition IMO.
Walters needs to follow Achurch out the door, not be given the Delaney role. Thanks for being in the right place at the right time at Old Trafford, but he's never going to be physically commanding enough to play in the middle unit. He got walked through for Allgood's try on Friday. There looked at one time like there might be a decent player in there somewhere, he ran some clever angles and understood where he needed to be on the field. The attempt by the conditioning staff to bulk him up ahead of the 2015 season though just seems to have completely ruined him as a player.
Those in favour of retaining Burrow in the bench role - when was the last time he came off the bench at dummy half and changed the course of a game? Give him a role with the 16s and 19s, but this should be it in terms of a playing contract.
Hall leaving would be a huge call, I think he's still got an awful lot to give at this level. IIRC his partner was pregnant during pre-season so he's dealing with being a new dad, and then subsequently got injured. Can't see any signs of a terminal decline in his game though.
I agree with everything you put there pretty much, Ferres is a quality player he has worked hard in a mostly beaten team and in time will get chances to show his qualities in attack. I don't rate Walters either from the evidence so far, He may well improve a bit in time but i don't see him getting to the top level of a SL back rower, no better than Clarkson standard for me.
I'm a bit undecided on Burrow, i have been one to write him off before, saying we should release him to Cas, and he has come good again and provided the difference come the end of the year. He is still handy to have in the squad provided it is just the bench role, i still think he is a weapon when the pack is dominant and on the front foot, can't say that has happened this year yet.
Stevosfalseteeth wrote:Funny. I know Stevie Ward quite well, and what you're claiming (Mac only got on with JP & Kev) is utter rubbish.
Fancy asking him what the issue is then? I don't accept this training ground issue, I can understand that being a factor but there's more to this than meets the eye.
Burrow has been brilliant for the club and one of those players that the opposition just can't or don't know how to handle. He has been a game winner for us in several massive games including finals but i agree he looks tired and just hasn't got the legs anymore to zip in and under the opposition defence. same goes for McGuire. His time is up. I'd love to see both of these legends involved in the club in youth development or whatever but it is time for them to hang up there boots. McD is no top class manager. It was the team that he had under him that made what has been a golden era golden. I don't see anymore tactical or strategic thinking out of him than we got out of Bluey. The last good manager Leeds had was Smith.
Time to have a proper clear out and rebuild from the top down and the bottom up. I don't mind the break from winning trophies if it gives us the opportunity to bring in a fresh new culture built around a strategic and tactical management and playing approach that matches the players we've got and the teams we are playing against. It's no good relentlessly trying to smash a triangular group of players through a square hole. We don't have a square team anymore!
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot post attachments in this forum